


Unintentional

by stargazinggirl773



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Claustrophobia, M/M, Magnus is also a kinda jerk?, alec is an asshole, but it's not his fault, post breakup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 11:43:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13903308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargazinggirl773/pseuds/stargazinggirl773
Summary: Clary, Alec, and Magnus all get trapped in an elevator during a demon hunt. Who could've guessed that a certain shadowhunter had a very specific phobia?





	Unintentional

**Author's Note:**

> hey! wow it's been a while :) been busy and caught up w school (who thought takin 30 courses in 20 was a good idea) hopefully my writing won't be rusty, or any more horrible than it usually is  
> hope you enjoy!

This was not how it was supposed to go, not how any of it was supposed to go, Clary thought to herself. It was almost pitch black in the elevator except for the sliver of silver light from it’s doors, and for a moment all she could hear were the breaths of her two companions, after the device had unexpectedly shut off.

  
The distant combinations inhumane shrieks and howls could be heard in the distance, along with the more familiar shouted commands of Jace and other shadowhunters fighting for their lives.

  
The institute had gotten the call for help from some werewolf, and several dozen shadowhunters had hurriedly dressed in their black gear, including herself, before heading to the demon infested hotel on the outskirts of Brooklyn. That was three hours ago, and by now almost everyone had become covered in the thick, dark blood of the monsters that they slaughtered. But no matter how many were killed, more demons emerged from the shadows, in staggering multitudes.

  
Clary had been, somehow, holding her own, fighting alongside Jace and his parabatai, whose skilfull movements and twists through the air were seen as flashes of gold and silver. Then the floor had shook, and someone had screamed below them, and without thinking she had ran towards the elevator- the hotel’s stairs a crumpled pile of wood- to dispatch more of the demons below before any of them got out and into the vulnerable mundane world.

  
Now, however, she regretted her decision, standing in the darkness, trapped in the small stupid metal box, and unable to help.

  
A small, flickering blue flame ignited in a palm just as a bright pain coursed through her. Gasping, she peeled off the layers of black material to reveal a long gash below her ribs, aware of the eyes on her.

  
“Great, we’re stuck here while hundreds of demons are on the loose, and she’s either going to bleed to death before we can help, or this thing’ll drop down and we’ll be spared the responsibility.” Alec remarked sarcastically, a leaning shadow against the opposite wall, his arms crossed and his hair a messy tangle over his suddenly dark eyes, while his blood soaked bow hung over his shoulder.

  
Clary glared at him and opened her mouth to respond.

  
“Shut up, Alec” Magnus replied for her, as he brought his flaming hand closer to her. Unlike the other shadowhunter, his narrowed eyes were bright and gleaming as he inspected her injury, his long fingers prodding gently at her abdomen. “She’s not going to bleed out” he concluded, turning back to the blue eyed boy who didn’t seem to be paying much attention.

  
Halfheartedly replying “Great,” Alec once again turned to the frozen metal doors and reached up to attempt to pry them apart, the tendons in his runed forearms visible in the blue light.  
Apart from a low groan, they didn’t move, and Alec ran a hand through his hair before looking darkly at Magnus.

  
He flung out a hand “Are you going to help?” he exclaimed, “Right, of course, wouldn’t want to chip a nail or anything, would you?”

  
Any reply was cut short by another agonizing screech of a dying demon, followed by the faint tremor of the entire hotel and more shouts outside from the shadowhunters. The elevator groaned again and they all caught their breathe. There was a brief moment of silence as the floor shook, and they backed up against the metal walls.

  
“I can’t” Magnus eventually replied, looking back up across the space at Alec. “My magic is almost depleted: I can’t force open those doors. We’ll just have to wait” he concluded.

  
Alec grimaced and rubbed the ridge of his nose “… fucking useless.” he muttered.

  
Magnus’ head whipped back up, “Excuse me?” he hissed.

  
“We’re trapped in a fucking box, and with no way out because you don’t even have enough power to last you a couple minutes in a fight.” Alec snapped, unhooking his bow to slide down against the wall to the floor, purposely casual.

  
The warlock breathed in, “This is no way my fault, or Clary’s for that matter. So I suggest you grow up and stop throwing tantrums and blaming other people for your problems for once in your life!”

  
A dull thud was made as Alec let his head was back, his mouth turned up at the corners. His teeth were very white.  
“Really? I’m the one blaming other people for my problems, are you sure?” he drawled. His eyes were closed, arms resting on his knees in the perfect posture of carelessness, if it weren’t for his clenched jaw.

  
“Something’s wrong” Clary cut in, her stelle gripped tight in her small fist, a nervous habit that Jace had already pointed out.

  
Alec looked at her with cold eyes, ignorant of Magnus’ icy stare. “You know, I had no idea, Clar-”.

  
Clary pushed off of the wall to step towards the taller boy. It was a small shock to be looking down at him for once. “Not- this” she gestured around them. “I mean there’s something wrong with you” she nodded.

  
A voice came from behind her: “Yes, he’s an asshole.”

  
She turned back to Magnus and impatiently wiped grime from her brow. “No, just listen! Get off your high horse and pay attention to your boyfriend!”  
“He’s not my-”

  
She faced Alec once again. “You’re shaking”, she pointed out, “And yelling, and _swearing_.”

  
The shadowhunter nodded in mock agreement. “That’s what people tend to do when their surrounded by idiots.”

  
Undeterred, Clary crouched down beside him, quieting her voice to ask: “What’s wrong, Alec?”

  
His face was a blank- albeit handsome- page, lips pressed together as he stared at some imaginary point. Clary’s heart beat faster as she realized what Alec was undergoing- shock. She recognized it from her time spent volunteering in the hospital during her mundane life, a lifetime ago, while trying to get the hours listed for her applications to various universities. The sound of footsteps broke her from the sense of nostalgia as Magnus settled on Alec’s other side, peering at Alec’s face. Alec sneered but Clary could see that the warlock was picking up on the same signs that she was; the sheen on exposed pieces of porcelain skin, the tremors in his arms, Alec’s enlarged pupils…

  
“You’re claustrophobic, aren’t you?” he asked, placing one elegant hand on Alec’s wrist.

  
“No I’m not, fuck off!” Alec replied, dislodging it. He pushed them both back roughly to stand back up, pacing to the other end of the elevator.  
“Alec…” Magnus trailed off. His voice was gentler now, eyes comprehending.

  
Alec slammed a fist into the metal with a loud clang, bringing it back bloody. “I said I’m not, okay! Am I honestly the only person worried about this thing falling, or the amount of oxygen left in here, with three people!” he yelled a little hysterically. He stood in front of the doors, so that a line of light traced over his pale face. Clary began to get up to trail after him before Magnus put out an arm, silently shaking his head. He rose carefully, examining at a distance from the shadowhunter.

  
“We won’t run out of oxygen, they’ll find us.” he reasoned, slowly stepping forward.

  
“Yeah? And how long will that take?” Aec said, before dropping his face into his hands. The fuck was muffled, broken.

  
Magnus stood silent and unmoving by his side, his head tilted slightly down to watch the broken boy. When Alec finally raised his head, his eyes were watery, and the words “I feel like the walls are closing in…” were warbled and cracking.

  
Clary watched as Magnus’ arm jolted slightly at an urge to touch his ex boyfriend, before he seemed to regain control, and another memory came suddenly to Clary. One of the nurses, an old woman named Shannon, with a warm smile, had said _they don’t like to be touched or hugged when they’re going through this. All it does is make them feel caged in, trapped, and they will panic._ Holding his hand out in front of him, palm up, Magnus whispered a word in a foreign language. Out of the flames rose up small specks of light, which morphed into small ,fluttery creatures. Butterflies, their wings a combination of baby blues, navy, aquamarine, and turquoise, leaving trails of turquoise wherever they went. At another creak, Alec shuddered, though his cerulean eyes followed the similarly coloured flaming creatures.

  
With a slight twist of his wrist, they danced in front of Alec, bobbing up and down in the air as they encircled the shadowhunter in light, illuminating the shining streaks on his cheeks.  
After an intermediate amount of time, and a break in the luminous, dancing flock, Alec turned to Magnus.

  
Despite the slight gap in height, half an inch or so, Alec was still able to rest his forehead on Magnus’ shoulder, bringing his hands up to hold tightly onto the fabric of Magnus’ shirt.  
His broad shoulders were shaking slightly, and Magnus kept his arms at his sides, turning in towards the boy to press his lips against his temple, the lower half of his face hidden by the messy black hair.

  
Then the doors opened.

**Author's Note:**

> love comments, even if it sometimes takes me a while to get back to ya;;;)


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